Terra Nova
by Infernal Blossom
Summary: When Meryl and Milly meet with an important client, Vash tags along out of boredom. Little did he know he'd be meeting a botanist who plans to terraform Gunsmoke. The plants are like the ones he'd seen in space, and when he decides to investigate, he uncovers a plot that could dry up all her plans. Mixes manga (mostly) & anime. M for violence/blood in later chapters


It was the same as any other day. Trudging into town, throat parched and lips dry, body on the verge of collapse from dehydration. The twin suns beaming above at high noon, delivering their strongest rays to the world directly below, making sure not a drop of water would thrive above ground. The faded image of two moons could be seen, the larger of the two displaying a large crater carved into its surface. It was the same as any other day. Having every gun in town pointed at you, breathing in the scent of freshly used gunpowder and burning metal. Ducking out of the range of dozens of bullets flying through the air, a faint smoke trail following each one before embedding themselves into the adjacent wall. Evading the town's entire population as he attempted to make his way out before the citizens destroyed all their property, leaving yet another city's destruction in the name of the Humanoid Typhoon. It was the same as any other day. Catching his breath as the city was left behind with his footsteps in the sand. Groaning from the twisting inside of his abdomen, wishing he'd at least grabbed a box of food for his travels. Wondering how long it'd be to the next town, and how long it'd take to get there, or if he'd reach it at all. Hoping nobody was following him in a car with their shotgun loaded and rope waiting in the backseat. Wishing the $$60,000,000,000 bounty on his head would be erased from the history books. Yearning to live a life filled with normalcy and companionship, instead of the constant loneliness that came with the supernatural powers and extended lifespan of being a Plant. Seeing the next town in the distance and preparing himself, just in case the citizens decided to do away with him.

It was the same as any other day for Vash the Stampede.

He took a deep breath and licked his lips, once again dried out by the desert. He lifted a hand to shield his eyes from the already strong double suns hovering above. His stomach growled, and he in turn growled in disappointment. He couldn't remember how long he'd been walking for. Two, perhaps three days? And yet he was still standing, still moving forward. He needed a break. Exhausted, Vash set his backpack on the ground and sat beside it. He dug in the bag and found a canteen. Opening it, he turned it over and opened his mouth. A thin stream of water flowed onto his waiting tongue, and before he knew it, his supply was gone. "Aww..." he sighed, twisting the lid back onto the canteen. He hung his head and frowned, staring at the ground. "So hungry..." The growls in his abdomen intensified, and soon he could hear it complaining to him. "I know, I know. I'm starving, too." Vash pat his stomach and stared ahead. Something stood out near the horizon. Squinting, he was able to focus better and make out the shapes of buildings. His face immediately lit up. "I'm saved!" he exclaimed, and in a single motion, gathered his bag and exploded into a full sprint toward the buildings.

The closer he got, the more cautious Vash became. By the time he reached the outermost buildings, his run had reduced to a mere tiptoeing. _'Was this the town that tried to shoot me dead?'_ he wondered, before realizing it was a stupid thought. _'Of course they do.'_ He made his way into an alley, making sure nobody would spot him as he maneuvered between buildings and through the streets, and ducked behind a trash can. "Just like always," he complained in a whisper, his stomach growling in agreement. He slowly leaned over the trash can lid and observed the street ahead, watching people pass by left and right, oblivious to his arrival. For once, it actually seemed possible for him to blend in with the crowds, maybe even get a full meal into his system and relax for a while. But was it worth the risk of getting caught? His stomach quickly pleaded for him to take the chance before it was lost. As he prepared to sneak into the next passing crowd, a sudden noise made him freeze. He waited to see what was causing the rumbling, ready to make a run for it at any time. A shadowed figure leaped out from the rumbling trash can, large green eyes setting their sights on him. The figure landed on his shoulder, and to his surprise, began to purr. "Huh?" Vash realized it was just a black cat, the very one that mysteriously managed to follow him everywhere he went. "Kuroneko! How'd you get here, little buddy?" He reached a hand out to pet the cat, who quickly began to purr and rub against him. Just then, as he started to feel more comfortable, he heard an all-too familiar sound behind him: the clicking of a hammer on a gun.

"Freeze!" The voice that yelled it sounded way too young for a gunman. Vash turned around and saw a group of children. They were all smiling, and the boy in the center pointed a blue toy gun at the outlaw. "Welcome back, Mr. Vash!" they said in unison, and they all tackled him to the ground. He couldn't help but to laugh, and gained the attention of some people passing by. Their faces lit up as quickly as his.

"Vash! You're back!"

"Long time, no see, Vash! How've you been?"

He quickly realized he'd walked all the way back to Inepril City, the one town that accepted him instead of trying to hunt him down. Word of his arrival spread like wildfire throughout the town, and by the late afternoon, he was already settled in a large room at the nicest tavern. Invites were thrown his way left and right; groups eagerly hoped he'd join them for a meal, a card game, or even a beer or two. But the children became the lucky ones when they managed to steal him for a game of Bounty Hunter that lasted until sunset. The kids pouted when Vash told them he had to get ready for dinner, but he reassured them he'd be back to play another round the next day. With the children setting him free, Vash was able to relax for a little while before heading down to the tavern's dining hall for his first home cooked meal in almost two weeks.

"Vash, buddy!" he was greeted by the tavern's owner. "You've come just in time. Happy hour just started." With a friendly pat to the back, Vash was shown to his table and served food and liquor right away. The other tavern patrons all said hello as they passed him by, and the waitresses all flirted with him as they served the table. He was having a great time: stuffing himself full, surrounded by friendly faces... And then he heard their voices.

"...we get a break for once," said one, her tone sassy and exhausted.

The second was much more cheerful, calmer, and upbeat. "I know, right? What should we do after this next job?" Vash followed the voices until his eyes landed on their owners, two very familiar women. One tall and innocent-looking, her companion shorter and full of attitude...

"Hey, it's the insurance girls!" he exclaimed, and reached his arm as high as possible to get their attention. "Milly, Meryl, good to see you!" Their eyes landed on him. Meryl, the shorter of the two, was definitely shocked, although not surprised or excited. Milly, on the other hand, waved back with a giggle and made her way to the table. Meryl groaned and reluctantly followed her partner.

Two extra chairs were brought for the women. "Guess we shouldn't be surprised you'd be here," Meryl commented, and pointed a finger at the outlaw. "You'd better not be causing any destruction here, you got that?"

"Mehwol, pwease," he replied with a mouth full of food. He took a second to chew and swallow before continuing. "You already know I'm not like that. And besides, nobody here wants to hunt me down. They all love me!" He grabbed his beer mug and downed the entire glass, then wiped his face on his sleeve with a satisfied smirk. "So, what brings you two here on this fine day? On vacation?"

Milly shook her head. "Not yet. We've got a special assignment to attend to first." The tavern owner came up to their table and served another round of beer to everyone. "It's the first of it's kind in the history of both the Bernadelli Insurance Society and the world."

"Ooh. Any details yet?"

"Not yet," Meryl answered after a sip of her own drink. "The client has refused to give any major details until we've met in person, saying it's a top secret project. But according to the higher ups, this is one we don't want to mess up." A waitress approached them with a tray full of food, and before departing, blew a kiss to Vash. He gladly caught it and rubbed it against the cheek, bringing the waitress to giggle as she walked away. Meryl slapped her hand to her forehead and sighed. "I see you're still chasing tail, as always." Vash shrugged his shoulders and laughed nervously before returning to his food.

The tavern was the busiest spot in town that night. Customers flew in and out, some picking up orders to bring home, others staying for hours to drink and have a good time. Vash had become involved in a drinking competition with one of the regulars, and nobody was surprised to see him easily winning. As the third person to lose to him swapped with the next competitor, the main entrance once again opened and another patron entered. "Welcome, welcome," the owner greeted the new customer. "Will you be sitting at a table or the bar?"

"I'm actually looking for someone," she told the man. "Unfortunately, I have no idea who." She nervously scratched her head. "I guess a seat at a table can do for now." The owner nodded and scanned the room for any available seat, and saw one of the people at a corner table leaving.

"Ah, there we are." He pointed to the empty seat.

"Thanks." She shook his hand and maneuvered her body through the tightening crowds until she reached the corner. "This seat available?" Everyone nodded and she slid through a thin space to get to her seat, next to a blond man in a red trench coat, and slid the bag from her shoulder under her chair. She spotted the still full plate of rice at the center of table and reached for it. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Go right ahead," Milly replied, and the woman gratefully served herself some rice.

Vash's sight returned to Meryl as he cleaned his plate. "So are you guys still planning on following me after you meet with this other client? Because personally, I'm not one for stalkers. It's hard enough to stay hidden, plus it's creepy."

"That's your own fault," she said to him. "And we're not doing it out of enjoyment. It's our job to make sure you don't cause the destruction of anything so our company doesn't go bankrupt." She fed herself a spoonful of rice. "Until you can stop being a magnet for danger, we'll have to follow you around. And it'd be easier if you'd stop running away all the time."

"Maybe you should try living how I do," he replied sarcastically, "and learn how hard it is to go slow while dodging hundreds of bullets headed your way." The woman in the corner quietly watched the argument bounce back and forth between the two, while their friend was too busy with her own meal to care what they were saying. It was pretty amusing to her; they almost acted like siblings, or even a couple. "I swear, sometimes you insurance girls are such a pain."

Her eyes widened. "Insurance girls?" She set her fork down and pointed to Meryl. "Hold on. You wouldn't happen to work for the Bernadelli Insurance Society, would you?"

Meryl's eyes widened. "Are you the client?" The woman nodded, and Meryl breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. We were given such little info that we thought you were just a hoax." She wiped her face and folded her hands on the tabletop. "Maybe we should discuss this in private, and away from all the drunks around us."

"I agree. Do you have a room upstairs?" Meryl nodded, and the three women quickly rose from their chairs. Milly turned to Vash and gestured for him to follow. He stood up and they headed for the stairs, paying their waitress as they walked by her.

The sounds of the partying downstair were easily drowned out as the door to Meryl and Milly's room was locked. Vash immediately took up residence on the chair at the farthest wall to give the women some space. As the insurance agents prepared their typewriter and paperwork, the outlaw watched the woman settle down on one of the beds. He didn't remember seeing her on his last trip through Inepril City, but then again, he'd only been through there once or twice. She looked very different from the other people around. Her brown eyes were the only thing that seemed normal about her. Her hair, a very dark brown, was pulled back into a bun and hidden beneath a bandana. Her skin was light, reflected more by the patches of dirt covering her face and thick, baggy clothes. He quickly noticed something around her neck that gleamed in the light from the lamp: a collection of strange beads on a string, ranging in all kinds of colors and luminosities. She was offered a tissue by Milly and felt embarrassed for showing up so filthy.

All the paperwork was laid out on the desk. Meryl and Milly sat on the bed across from her, and Vash moved closer to them, still leaving space for their conversation. "I guess we should start with introductions," Milly started. "I'm Milly Thompson, and this is my partner Meryl Strife. You already know who we work for." She gestured her hand towards Vash. "And this is-"

"Our associate, Erick," Meryl suddenly intervened. "He's in training to become an insurance agent." She hoped the woman would buy it quickly; she didn't want to have an important client running off because she was in the same room as Vash the Stampede. Knowing what she was trying to do, nobody questioned her.

To her relief, the woman nodded. "Oh, okay. My name is Carmen Omega, and I'm sure what I have for you is something you've never seen before."

"So what are you looking for, Carmen?" Milly asked. "We have plenty of options for life insurance policies, if that's what you're interested in."

Carmen shook her head. "I do need an insurance policy, but not for myself. I run a very important business that I need insured by your company. What I do could change life on Gunsmoke for the better, and for generations to come." She reached for her duffel bag and pulled the drawstring open. Digging inside, she pulled out a large glass cylinder, and watched everyone's eyes widen in awe. Inside the glass was a sunflower at its peak, sprouting out from a bed of soil. Its petals were bright and golden, just like its namesake, and the stem and leaves were a shade of green Vash thought was lost with everything inside the SEEDS ships. The three of them stared at it in silence, then shifted their gazes to Carmen. "I'm a botanist. I have an underground research facility a few iles out of town, and there are more of these in there. I'm attempting to terraform Gunsmoke one town at a time, and turn it into a true second Earth for us. Think about it: instead of desert wasteland, everything would be covered in grass and trees, and rivers would flow as far as the eye can see. Life would become so much easier for everyone. We'd be able to grow food, raise livestock, and even expand our cities across the planet." She noticed the bewildered expressions on their faces, and smiled. "I know it sounds a little bizarre, so that's why I brought the sunflower with me. I thought if you saw it, it might convince you. Your boss liked the idea."

"It's beautiful," Milly commented. Carmen offered her the cylinder and she carefully took it.

"Unfortunately, the plants still can't fully adapt to the soil under the sand as it is. They're still too sensitive to the lack of nutrients. My next step is to figure out how to make it rain here so the soil can get some help. If my calculations are correct and everything goes as planned, I should be able to plant the first seeds and trees within the next year." She reached for the bag again and pulled out a stack of papers, handing them to Meryl. "This is everything that would have to be covered under the insurance policy. I've listed everything according to acquisition date, what it's made of, importance, and monetary value. It should all check out."

Meryl took the large stack and skimmed through the first few pages. "I see why you wanted to do this in person," she commented. "Your research alone is worth a fortune... Huh?" She squinted her eyes as she read several lines of text. "Black market value...?"

Carmen's smile faded. "Yeah. Along with the research, a single plant in the facility could be worth at least millions if sold on the black market. They could probably go for even more than what I put."

"Uh-huh..." She laid the papers back and stared at the side of the stack, seeing how many she'd have to read through. "Oh boy, this is gonna take a while." Meryl sighed. "I already know our boss is fine with this, so putting your policy through shouldn't be a problem. But as we normally do, we'll have to see the facility in person to make sure everything you've listed is accounted for."

Carmen nodded. "That won't be a problem. In fact, I can take you all tomorrow afternoon if you're not busy. Just meet me here after lunch." She watched Milly carefully pass the cylinder to Vash. He took it and rested the bottom on his lap, and stared at the sunflower inside. _'She said she had others... Did she mean others like these, or...'_

A half hour passed, mostly in silence, with the occasional footsteps and shifting of papers breaking it. Carmen, Meryl and Milly went through the insurance contract page by page, and all signed where necessary. It was late when the last page was signed. "And there we are," Milly said. "We'll ship these out, and we should have a confirmation on the policy soon."

"Perfect." Carmen gathered her paper stack and returned them to the duffel bag. She came up to Vash and held her hands out for the sunflower glass. Taking one last look at it, he handed her the cylinder and watched her gently place it in the bag. A yawn escaped her lips as she picked up the bag. "Well I'd better head home now. It was nice meeting you all." She headed to the door with a wave and left the room.

Vash couldn't let her leave by herself. He sprang out of his seat and followed her down the hall. "Wait," he called to her, and she immediately stopped. "Would you like for me to walk you home? It's really dark out.

She couldn't help smiling at his kind gesture. "Thank you, but I'll be alright." She turned toward the stairs and waved goodbye to him. "Goodnight, Erick."

"Goodnight..." He stayed in the hallway until the top of her bun vanished, and decided to call it a night.


End file.
